Kitsuné: SS 2011

All clothes in the video are taken from the new Kitsuné Spring-Summer 2011 collection: “Reporter”.

All music in the video will be featured on Kitsuné Maison 10 “The Fireworks Issue” (Release date : November 29th 2010).

Directors : Fabien Constant & Loïc Prigent.

;)

-S

Kitsuné: SS 2011

All clothes in the video are taken from the new Kitsuné Spring-Summer 2011 collection: “Reporter”.

All music in the video will be featured on Kitsuné Maison 10 “The Fireworks Issue” (Release date : November 29th 2010).

Directors : Fabien Constant & Loïc Prigent.

;)

-S

"Act da Fool" by Harmony Korine

Proenza Schouler Presents "Act da Fool," a film by Harmony Korine. Amazing!

"Act da Fool" by Harmony Korine

Proenza Schouler Presents "Act da Fool," a film by Harmony Korine. Amazing!

"Style Trumps Trends"

Hello friends and fashionistas,

My latest piece, "Style Trumps Trends," is in the September issue of Instinct Magazine, on newsstands now. I always have loads of fun with my articles for Instinct because the editorial team puts almost no limitations on me, if any. They're just the nicest guys who understand the beauty of collaboration, and subsequently I feel like my most authentic work comes out with them. The September issue has a fashion theme, and so does my article which explores fashion as a point of inspiration for interiors. "Style Trumps Trends" is a quippy evaluation of fashion and interior design, with some fun tips for decorating your home in celebration of icons like Chanel, YSL and Dior. There's a sneak peek on Instinct's site, but if you want to read it in full please consider supporting a worthy print mag that still believes in original content.

Thanks for your support,

Sean

"Style Trumps Trends"

Hello friends and fashionistas,

My latest piece, "Style Trumps Trends," is in the September issue of Instinct Magazine, on newsstands now. I always have loads of fun with my articles for Instinct because the editorial team puts almost no limitations on me, if any. They're just the nicest guys who understand the beauty of collaboration, and subsequently I feel like my most authentic work comes out with them. The September issue has a fashion theme, and so does my article which explores fashion as a point of inspiration for interiors. "Style Trumps Trends" is a quippy evaluation of fashion and interior design, with some fun tips for decorating your home in celebration of icons like Chanel, YSL and Dior. There's a sneak peek on Instinct's site, but if you want to read it in full please consider supporting a worthy print mag that still believes in original content.

Thanks for your support,

Sean

ACNE: Foray Into Furniture

Finding myself applauding at my computer screen, I knew I had to cover ACNE's foray into furniture design, which launched this week in Paris. The Swedish creative agency ACNE (Ambition to Create Novel Expressions,) known mostly as a fashion line, used the work of renowned Swedish designer Carl Malmsten, and in particular his "New Berlin" sofa as the reference for the line. ACNE founder, Jonny Johansson, explains that he decided "to objectify its form from a perspective play, [...] stretching, squashing and pulling the simplistic shape to create new sculptural forms," and he compares the remix, guided by "proportion, lineage and structure," to the brand's approach to fashion. Playing with proportions, is of course, a popular theme in fashion, and these pieces are jaw dropping examples of the beauty in distortion; transforming classics to create something truly modern. Creating a common thread between their fashion brand and the new venture, ACNE dressed these pieces in denim, treating the upholstery in the same way as they approach their jeans — by washing, bleaching, and hand-drying the pieces to create bespoke finishes.

Check out the video below for a glimpse into the launch party in Paris ("Wicked Games" in the background is a nice touch, too.)

-S

Acne Furniture Launch from Acne Studios on Vimeo.

ACNE: Foray Into Furniture

Finding myself applauding at my computer screen, I knew I had to cover ACNE's foray into furniture design, which launched this week in Paris. The Swedish creative agency ACNE (Ambition to Create Novel Expressions,) known mostly as a fashion line, used the work of renowned Swedish designer Carl Malmsten, and in particular his "New Berlin" sofa as the reference for the line. ACNE founder, Jonny Johansson, explains that he decided "to objectify its form from a perspective play, [...] stretching, squashing and pulling the simplistic shape to create new sculptural forms," and he compares the remix, guided by "proportion, lineage and structure," to the brand's approach to fashion. Playing with proportions, is of course, a popular theme in fashion, and these pieces are jaw dropping examples of the beauty in distortion; transforming classics to create something truly modern. Creating a common thread between their fashion brand and the new venture, ACNE dressed these pieces in denim, treating the upholstery in the same way as they approach their jeans — by washing, bleaching, and hand-drying the pieces to create bespoke finishes.

Check out the video below for a glimpse into the launch party in Paris ("Wicked Games" in the background is a nice touch, too.)

-S

Acne Furniture Launch from Acne Studios on Vimeo.

Christopher Brown: Craving Ruffles

In our vast archive of James Magni's residential projects, this dining room shot always seems to grab everyone's attention. The focal point is of course the stunning artwork. A painting by the artist, Christopher Brown, it's of Sir Anthony van Dyck- the Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England, circa King Charles I.

I love the mix of classical elegance and sheer flamboyance in this piece.

-S

Christopher Brown: Craving Ruffles

In our vast archive of James Magni's residential projects, this dining room shot always seems to grab everyone's attention. The focal point is of course the stunning artwork. A painting by the artist, Christopher Brown, it's of Sir Anthony van Dyck- the Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England, circa King Charles I.

I love the mix of classical elegance and sheer flamboyance in this piece.

-S

Color Stories w/ the Beckerman Sisters

There's a fine line between avant garde style and wearing flat-out costumes in fashion. Rarely do we see ladies who can stand boldly with one foot on either side of the line, claiming both as sources of inspiration. Of course, there was the fictional Carrie Bradshaw, AKA the non-fictional Patricia Field, but I digress. Which brings me to the point of this post: The Beckerman Sisters. These Toronto natives have a wonderfully colorful fashion label, but an even more relevant style blog. Beckerman Biteplate is the sisters daily fashion diary that chronicles their own personal outfits. Their fashion sensibility is undoubtedly evident, but it's their styling abilities and on-the-spot art direction for their photos that personally inspires me. I'd love to see these ladies get into interior design, or production designing for film. If nothing else, the color stories these girls tell in their outfits are something to take note of. Time and time again, I talk about the need for juxtapositions in the design marketplace, and especially the need for young talent in the shelter arena. Maybe these girls could do a line of home accessories or even a line of fabrics or wallpaper. Speaking of wallpaper, have you heard about Vivienne Westwood's collaboration with the iconic Cole & Son wallpaper company?! It's a fitting collaboration when you consider that although Vivienne Westwood's known for her rock n' roll ways, elements of Westwood’s designs are still nestled in timeless British mores, just like the century old company.


-S

Color Stories w/ the Beckerman Sisters

There's a fine line between avant garde style and wearing flat-out costumes in fashion. Rarely do we see ladies who can stand boldly with one foot on either side of the line, claiming both as sources of inspiration. Of course, there was the fictional Carrie Bradshaw, AKA the non-fictional Patricia Field, but I digress. Which brings me to the point of this post: The Beckerman Sisters. These Toronto natives have a wonderfully colorful fashion label, but an even more relevant style blog. Beckerman Biteplate is the sisters daily fashion diary that chronicles their own personal outfits. Their fashion sensibility is undoubtedly evident, but it's their styling abilities and on-the-spot art direction for their photos that personally inspires me. I'd love to see these ladies get into interior design, or production designing for film. If nothing else, the color stories these girls tell in their outfits are something to take note of. Time and time again, I talk about the need for juxtapositions in the design marketplace, and especially the need for young talent in the shelter arena. Maybe these girls could do a line of home accessories or even a line of fabrics or wallpaper. Speaking of wallpaper, have you heard about Vivienne Westwood's collaboration with the iconic Cole & Son wallpaper company?! It's a fitting collaboration when you consider that although Vivienne Westwood's known for her rock n' roll ways, elements of Westwood’s designs are still nestled in timeless British mores, just like the century old company.


-S

The Look of December

I love Fantastic Man's "The Look of December" short. "To dress well for festive parties is a way of giving back to the host, and is therefore encouraged in this month of generosity. A suitable smart outfit in a greenish grey can be viewed front and back simply by pressing the play button below."

I've always said, dressing well is a sign of respect... for your party host, your partner, your colleagues, your family, and for the world in which you live in.

The Look of December

I love Fantastic Man's "The Look of December" short. "To dress well for festive parties is a way of giving back to the host, and is therefore encouraged in this month of generosity. A suitable smart outfit in a greenish grey can be viewed front and back simply by pressing the play button below."

I've always said, dressing well is a sign of respect... for your party host, your partner, your colleagues, your family, and for the world in which you live in.

Patrik Rzepski: Straps & Horsehair

Patrik Rzepski is a New York-based fashion designer. His aesthetic derives from punk rock, violence and teenage angst. He's best known for his odd inspirations, such as Myra Hindley, the child-murderess, and JonBenét Ramsey. Some in the industry are calling him a younger Alexander McQueen, but I think his talent has a P.O.V. of his own. Always on the moodier side of romance, Patrik's aesthetic is sexy, sophisticated, mixed with a little bit of darkness. I won't spiel you, so let's just get into a quick interview I did with Patrik instead:

SY: With past collections inspired by the mystery behind JonBenét Ramsey, notorious English Murderess Myra Hindley, and infamous '70s gang of German terrorists Baader Meinhof, is it safe to say that you are a subversive hardass obsessed with murder?

PR: Inspiration comes from everywhere. I think people are more drawn to those reference points. In the end, the inspiration becomes quite romanticized, nothing is literal.


SY: It seems like the most genius artists in this world are also dropouts. No matter how relevant the school is, it just can't give you that innate talent that will ultimately be needed to "make it." Was there a moment that made it crystal clear for you to leave school?

PR: At the end of my first semester during finals, the director of the fashion department saw my final and asked what class I was teaching. I think you can never have "too much" education, however school was not for me and luckily fashion is an arena in which experience counts for just as much if not more.


SY: I'm a native Angeleno, so I always try to throw in an LA question when appropriate, here goes: Rick Owen's said something like "LA should stick to sitcoms and leave fashion to NY," How do you feel about that perspective? How do you feel about LA and fashion?... I mean, on the one hand we have natives like Paris Hilton (boo) and on the other we have the fashion genius of MK Olsen (yay.)

PR: I will agree with anything Rick Owens has to say, but I also think that LA can't help but be celebrity centric and unfortunately that dilutes and distracts from what's actually going on, but I have no idea what if anything, is going on in LA.


SY: I love collabos in fashion, especially when the avant garde and mainstream come together. Jil Sander's doing a line for Uniqlo, Rogue Gallery is doing a line for LL Bean, Raf Simons did one for Eastpack, etcetera, etcetera... If you could do a line for the masses, who would you collaborate for?

PR: I would definitely be up for doing a collaboration, I've been crushing on Nike.


SY: Is it true that you once buried a dress in your parents backyard before digging it up and sending it out on the runway? Explain?

PR: True, for S/S 2004 I dug a trench in the yard and buried a pink linen party dress and left it for 2 weeks to give it a bit of femininity and gore.


SY: FAVORITE CITIES...

SY: For life?
PR: Barcelona/Madrid

SY: For love?
PR: Brighton Beach

SY: For fashion?
PR: Milwaukee

SY: For your work... biggest market/buyers?
PR: Asia

SY: For food?
PR: Paris

SY: For sex?
PR: Current Location

SY: For inspiration?
PR: New York


SY: I can't live without...?

PR: Coffee/Peter/Ipod


SY: If I could only buy/afford one thing from your collection, what should I buy? Is there a definitively P Rzepski piece?

PR: Anything with straps/horsehair


SY: What's upcoming for you? What would you like to communicate to us for your line in 2010?

PR: You're so chic, you're so sheer, teenage rebel of the week


SY: Where will you be for New Year's Eve?

PR: I will be doing the Polar Bear Swim @ Coney Island again on New Year's day, so nothing wild

Patrik Rzepski: Straps & Horsehair

Patrik Rzepski is a New York-based fashion designer. His aesthetic derives from punk rock, violence and teenage angst. He's best known for his odd inspirations, such as Myra Hindley, the child-murderess, and JonBenét Ramsey. Some in the industry are calling him a younger Alexander McQueen, but I think his talent has a P.O.V. of his own. Always on the moodier side of romance, Patrik's aesthetic is sexy, sophisticated, mixed with a little bit of darkness. I won't spiel you, so let's just get into a quick interview I did with Patrik instead:

SY: With past collections inspired by the mystery behind JonBenét Ramsey, notorious English Murderess Myra Hindley, and infamous '70s gang of German terrorists Baader Meinhof, is it safe to say that you are a subversive hardass obsessed with murder?

PR: Inspiration comes from everywhere. I think people are more drawn to those reference points. In the end, the inspiration becomes quite romanticized, nothing is literal.


SY: It seems like the most genius artists in this world are also dropouts. No matter how relevant the school is, it just can't give you that innate talent that will ultimately be needed to "make it." Was there a moment that made it crystal clear for you to leave school?

PR: At the end of my first semester during finals, the director of the fashion department saw my final and asked what class I was teaching. I think you can never have "too much" education, however school was not for me and luckily fashion is an arena in which experience counts for just as much if not more.


SY: I'm a native Angeleno, so I always try to throw in an LA question when appropriate, here goes: Rick Owen's said something like "LA should stick to sitcoms and leave fashion to NY," How do you feel about that perspective? How do you feel about LA and fashion?... I mean, on the one hand we have natives like Paris Hilton (boo) and on the other we have the fashion genius of MK Olsen (yay.)

PR: I will agree with anything Rick Owens has to say, but I also think that LA can't help but be celebrity centric and unfortunately that dilutes and distracts from what's actually going on, but I have no idea what if anything, is going on in LA.


SY: I love collabos in fashion, especially when the avant garde and mainstream come together. Jil Sander's doing a line for Uniqlo, Rogue Gallery is doing a line for LL Bean, Raf Simons did one for Eastpack, etcetera, etcetera... If you could do a line for the masses, who would you collaborate for?

PR: I would definitely be up for doing a collaboration, I've been crushing on Nike.


SY: Is it true that you once buried a dress in your parents backyard before digging it up and sending it out on the runway? Explain?

PR: True, for S/S 2004 I dug a trench in the yard and buried a pink linen party dress and left it for 2 weeks to give it a bit of femininity and gore.


SY: FAVORITE CITIES...

SY: For life?
PR: Barcelona/Madrid

SY: For love?
PR: Brighton Beach

SY: For fashion?
PR: Milwaukee

SY: For your work... biggest market/buyers?
PR: Asia

SY: For food?
PR: Paris

SY: For sex?
PR: Current Location

SY: For inspiration?
PR: New York


SY: I can't live without...?

PR: Coffee/Peter/Ipod


SY: If I could only buy/afford one thing from your collection, what should I buy? Is there a definitively P Rzepski piece?

PR: Anything with straps/horsehair


SY: What's upcoming for you? What would you like to communicate to us for your line in 2010?

PR: You're so chic, you're so sheer, teenage rebel of the week


SY: Where will you be for New Year's Eve?

PR: I will be doing the Polar Bear Swim @ Coney Island again on New Year's day, so nothing wild

Don't Mistake My House for a Hair Salon!

SCORE! I found this awesome Patrick Nagel poster at the Salvation Army Family Store for 10 bucks!

I assume that some of you may be thinking that I've lost my mind with this one, but let me explain my love and respect for Nagel's work:

Not only did Nagel's images embody the chic and sleek style of the 80's, but I think his work had a greater hand in creating what the 80's were becoming at the very time. What I'm trying to say is that Nagel was less an observer of the time and more so an influence to the time... Would the 80's be the same without his images? Would have Armani evolved YSL's "Le Smoking Tuxedo" to create the famous power-suit for women? ... Would have Donna Karan introduced her 'Essentials Line' for the 80's working woman if not for Nagel's images?

Nagel's vision of the iconic 80's woman was so influential that even today his images are popularly used. How many times have you seen a mom-n'-pop hair salon or nail shop use a window decal with a Nagel-esq picture? If you haven't noticed, I dare you to take a look... you'll be surprised at how many beauty shops use his images even today.

The man even influenced computer software applications like that of Adobe Photoshop. The simplifying tools on photoshop are like an undeclared homage to the working style of Nagel. You see, all of Nagel's illustrations were based in photography. "Nagel would start with a photograph and work down, always simplifying and removing elements which he felt were unnecessary. The resulting image would look flat, but emphasized those elements which he felt were most important.

IMO, one of the last influential artists of the 20th century, Patrick Nagel.

Don't Mistake My House for a Hair Salon!

SCORE! I found this awesome Patrick Nagel poster at the Salvation Army Family Store for 10 bucks!

I assume that some of you may be thinking that I've lost my mind with this one, but let me explain my love and respect for Nagel's work:

Not only did Nagel's images embody the chic and sleek style of the 80's, but I think his work had a greater hand in creating what the 80's were becoming at the very time. What I'm trying to say is that Nagel was less an observer of the time and more so an influence to the time... Would the 80's be the same without his images? Would have Armani evolved YSL's "Le Smoking Tuxedo" to create the famous power-suit for women? ... Would have Donna Karan introduced her 'Essentials Line' for the 80's working woman if not for Nagel's images?

Nagel's vision of the iconic 80's woman was so influential that even today his images are popularly used. How many times have you seen a mom-n'-pop hair salon or nail shop use a window decal with a Nagel-esq picture? If you haven't noticed, I dare you to take a look... you'll be surprised at how many beauty shops use his images even today.

The man even influenced computer software applications like that of Adobe Photoshop. The simplifying tools on photoshop are like an undeclared homage to the working style of Nagel. You see, all of Nagel's illustrations were based in photography. "Nagel would start with a photograph and work down, always simplifying and removing elements which he felt were unnecessary. The resulting image would look flat, but emphasized those elements which he felt were most important.

IMO, one of the last influential artists of the 20th century, Patrick Nagel.

Books Are In

Karl Lagerfeld with quote by German Philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer.

Books are good.

-S

Books Are In

Karl Lagerfeld with quote by German Philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer.

Books are good.

-S